The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Disposable plates and dishes have been used for some time to conveniently feed guests without the hassle of cleaning dishes afterwards. While this can provide an advantage to those trying to save time, a challenge arises when feeding guests that are incapable of cleaning for themselves or eating properly (e.g., young toddlers and pets). In those situations, disposable plates and dishes can be problematic as they are not useful in preventing a mess and can be easily destroyed.
Traditional pet bowls also have the same problem because pets are not typically trained to eat in a clean and orderly fashion. To help mitigate the problems associated with cleaning, some have contemplated disposable pet dishes and liners. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,845 to Budd discloses a disposable food dish having a liner and a holder. The holder of Budd has a raised portion that locks into a depression in the liner to attach or detach the liner onto holder. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,204,202 to Behun discloses a pet dish with a disposable liner. In yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,110 to Birnie discloses a pet feeding system with disposable inserts that are positioned within a bowl using an adhesive tab. While these references provide a disposable plate or dish that can be used for special cases, it appears that disposing the liner requires a user to unfortunately contact the liner, which can be unsanitary and germ-ridden.
Thus, there is still a need for a safer and cleaner system for pet bowls.